With Everything I Am(68)

“Callum, hear me out.”

“Absolutely fucking not.”

“Callum, hear me out,” Gregor repeated but Callum started walking again and Gregor again fell in step by his side.

“She’s my daughter,” Gregor stated.

Callum stopped once more and turned to the vampire. “She’s your ward.”

“She was my ward, thirty-one years ago. That’s a long time, Callum, nurturing a mortal, watching her grow up, putting Band-Aids on her skinned knees, arguing with her about eating peas and hoping you bought her the birthday present she wanted most of all.” Callum ground his teeth together, unaffected by the depths of Gregor’s heretofore unknown fondness for Sonia as Gregor finished, “Since then, she became my daughter.”

“And you’re saying you want me to renounce my queen, walk away from my fucking mate, so you can keep your daughter?” Callum bit out.

“I’m saying I don’t want her to die,” Gregor returned coolly. “Ever.”

Callum sucked in breath. He knew where this was going.

And he had no idea Gregor felt this deeply for Sonia but he didn’t disbelieve it. Gregor was not a warm male, not openly. But Sonia was a warm woman and it would be hard not to feel deeply for her, especially if you had thirty-one years of putting Band-Aids on her skinned knees and buying her birthday presents.

Gregor continued, “Yuri adores her. He has since the moment he laid eyes on her. He’ll take care of her. He’ll give her anything she desires –”

“You need to stop talking,” Callum warned.

Gregor ignored his warning and announced what Callum already knew, “He’ll give her immortal life.”

Callum sucked in breath.

Vampires fed on human blood, they had since time began. As their species developed, it also developed the capacity to protect its prey. Therefore, at the exact same time vampires fed, they released healing properties into their human meals through their saliva. These properties were extraordinarily strong, they helped the bite heal and the blood to regenerate swiftly.

And, if released into the bloodstream of a human regularly and for any length of time, it could do more. Regress aging, fight disease, greatly hasten the healing of broken bones or, say, halt the effects of a deadly blood disease.

And, if released into the bloodstream of a human regularly and indefinitely, it could keep them young, vital and alive forever.

“I know your people don’t understand this concept but this is my lifemate you’re talking about,” Callum growled.

Gregor’s tone was actually gentle when he replied, “Lifemate? Hardly, Callum. Her life, maybe. But yours?”

Callum’s skin started prickling again, even so far as stinging and he felt his blood start to heat as the transformation started.

He hadn’t transformed without willing himself to do so since he was a young wolf who hadn’t yet learned control.

It took effort but he held it back and started walking again swiftly, his long legs eating the distance to round the block which would take him back toward Sonia’s house.

Gregor kept up with him, pace for pace.

“Think of her, Callum,” Gregor urged calmly. “What she’ll go through, aging while you do not age, knowing that –”

Callum cut him off, “This conversation is over.”

“Callum, you must think of Sonia.”

Callum yet again halted, turned on the vampire and took a step closer, clearly aggressive and on the offense, bending slightly so he was nose-to-nose with Sonia’s guardian.

“I said, this conversation is over.”

Gregor held his cool and Callum’s scowl for long moments before he replied, “Fine, Callum, the conversation is over.”

“Don’t raise this subject again, not with me, not with Sonia,” Callum commanded.

Gregor pulled in breath through his nose then sighed and agreed, “I won’t raise it again, with either of you.”

“Yuri either,” Callum went on.

“I’ll speak with Yuri,” Gregor promised.

“I want your vow on that,” Callum demanded, he watched Gregor’s eyes flash then the vampire nodded.

“You have my vow.”

Callum felt his body relax.

But he wasn’t finished. “If you and Yuri want to be a part of Sonia’s life, no matter how short it may be, you’ll not behave like you did tonight. Especially Yuri.”

“As you can see, my news was important,” Gregor returned.

“Call next time,” Callum gritted out.

Gregor’s jaw tensed but he nodded.

“Yuri speaks to her like that again, or to me when she’s within hearing distance, I’ll tear him apart, burn the pieces and scatter the ashes to the winds.”